PREVIEW: The start of the triple header begins in Imola

After a month’s break, the drivers and teams are set to return to the paddock for Round 3 of the 2025 season in Imola, kicking off a period of three race weekends in a row.

Rafael Câmara and his TRIDENT team sit on top of both Championships after winning the opening two Feature Races of the year in Melbourne and Sakhir.

But on Formula 3’s return to Europe, how will their rivals fight back?

WHAT TO EXPECT

The weekend starts as usual with the drivers and teams having 45 minutes of track time on Friday for Free Practice at 09:55 local time.

They will then have a few hours to assess the data and make some setup tweaks, if needed, before returning to the track for Qualifying at 15:05.

The pole-position shootout decides the grid for the two races, the first of which is an 18-lap Sprint at 10:05 local time on Saturday morning.

Grand Prix Sunday follows with an even earlier Feature Race start time with lights out set for 08:30. So will Câmara and TRIDENT make it three in a row or will Imola bring someone new to the top step?

FAST FACTS

• Rafael Câmara leads the way with two victories this season, while Santiago Ramos and Nikola Tsolov have one victory each.

• Santiago Ramos comes into the weekend with a good history in Imola having taken Pole Position last year.

• 11 drivers have finished on the podium at least once this year, although Câmara is the only one to do so twice.

• Tim Tramnitz and Noel León are the only drivers on the grid to have scored a Formula 3 podium in Imola.

• On Formula 3’s last two visits to Imola, the eventual Champion has achieved a place on the podium. Victor Martins finished second in the 2022 Sprint Race, while Leonardo Fornaroli ended up third in the 2024 Feature.

• TRIDENT have won the last two Feature Races in Imola (Roman Stanek in 2022 and Sami Meguetounif in 2024)

FROM THE GRID – Noel León, PREMA Racing

“It’s quite a technical track. It’s a special track to race at, it’s a special event and a special race weekend. I love the track, the kerbs, the track limits, it’s such a special track.

It’s one of the oldest tracks on the calendar, and you don’t have so much space to make a mistake, as there is usually grass or something else there.

“The best place to overtake is Turn 1. For a Qualifying lap it’s a great track, but for racing it’s quite tough because you don’t have a lot of places to overtake, mainly it’s T2. Obviously on the first lap, you have a bit more overtaking opportunities. But after that, it’s just T2, which is still quite difficult, but it’s good, especially when you overtake around the outside.

“It’s quite difficult because it’s not a track that you race around a lot, so it’s always difficult to get into rhythm before qualifying. But as soon as you get it, it’s a great place to do a lap.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Pierre-Alain Michot, FIA Formula 3 Technical Director

“An old-school circuit, Imola provides one of the more intriguing tests for both the drivers and the teams. On the one hand, the opening sector is a very high-speed section, but the final two parts of the lap are quite different, with several low speed corners, including Turn 18 – the penultimate corner. This means downforce levels will be quite high.

“In addition to that, it is a very tight and narrow circuit meaning one mistake from the drivers, during either Qualifying or the races, could see them in the gravel trap or on the grass. So, finding the limit of the track as soon as possible will be key, as one mistake could compromise a driver’s entire weekend.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

As was the case last year, the compound chosen for Imola is the Medium. The 2025 cars seem to help the drivers manage thermal degradation. This characteristic could assist them in dealing with graining, which in the 2024 Feature Race began to make itself felt on the tyres before half-distance. In fact, that aside, the top three finishers all proved adept at managing tyre performance.

In general, degradation, although high, will be consistent. In the 2024 Sprint Race, there were no fewer than 6 neutralisations, which is to be expected at a track like Imola. The track is a good training ground for young drivers who have to deal with a complex mix of corners and braking points at what is a very technical circuit with very few overtaking opportunities.